Dear Sisters in Asia and the Pacific,

I write this letter as the Philippines, specifically Metro Manila and surrounding provinces, is still reeling from the devastating floods that struck last weekend. The Miriam College campus and community were not spared by this worst disaster in decades, but we were more fortunate than most. In the midst of rescue and relief operations, the Philippine Host Committee pondered on the Asia Pacific NGO Forum on Beijing + 15, only three weeks away, and wondered if we could or should go on with it as scheduled.

Beijing +15 NGO National Consultation
September 3-5, 2009
Kathmandu

The Beijing +15 NGO National Consultation, was successfully conducted as a way to give continuity to a movement to ensure rights, justice and equity for women since 1994. The program was inaugurated by Honourable Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, who highlighted the government’s commitment to prioritize women’s issues in their plans and programs for the current fiscal year. He also expressed his commitment to ensure the implementation of policies that promote gender equity and justice. Other guests of honour were Secretary of the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, Bindra Hada and Nepal Police D.I.G. Parbati Thapa.

Dear All,

This is to briefly report to you the National Consultation on B+15, "Weaving Wisdom, Confronting Crises, Forging the Future” Lahore, 10-11 September. The Consultation was organised by Shirkat Gah and ASR Resource Centre. More than 135 people participated on both days from across the country representing a cross section of society – grassroots organisations, women’s/human rights activists, NGOs engaged in the Beijing process since the Conference in 1995, social movements, minority groups, parliamentarians, and the media -- among them a fairly large group of young people. Many more were eager to come but financial constraints forced us to limit the numbers (the event was financed entirely by Shirkat Gah and ASR from their respective resources).

by Nina Somera, Isis International

Nepali women's organisation, Saathi in collaboration with other women's groups is set to produce an NGO Nepal Report on Beijing +15 in time for the Asia Pacific NGO Forum on Beijing + 15 in October 2009 in Manila and the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in March 2010 in New York. This report will be based on the outputs of a conference from 13-14 September 2009 that will be attended by over 150 feminists and women's organisations in the country.